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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054183">The real deal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/almost_alisha/pseuds/almost_alisha'>almost_alisha</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prom 2028 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluffy, M/M, Prom, and his barbers, but thats his business, chris is only mentioned, denny gets a hair cut, denny may have a giant crush on chris</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:22:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,435</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/almost_alisha/pseuds/almost_alisha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Denny gets a haircut, and talks poor Marvin's ear off.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Denny Wilson &amp; Original Male Character, pre-relationship Christopher Diaz/Denny Wilson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prom 2028 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812361</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The real deal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>part 3!!! the longest part so far because this was my actual profession and i know wtf im talking about</p><p>also for future reference when chris refers to dad he means eddie and papa he means buck. when denny refers to mom he means hen and mama mean karen.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Denny is regretting his decision. Yes, <em>okay</em>, he likes Christopher Diaz. Like, as in, I want to kiss you and hug you and make you smile all the time kind of like. He wants to take Chris to prom, he wants to make those memories with Chris and only Chris. He just wishes that he didn’t have to sacrifice his hair. He shouldn’t have to, because he <em>likes</em> his hair. Chris likes his hair, the younger boy even being the one to convince Denny to bleach and color the ends of his hair silver. He’d even sat in the bathroom cheering him on while he did it, and laughed when he had dropped a giant glob of bleach on his jet black shirt. Needless to say, it’s not jet black anymore. That’s not the point, though. The point is that Denny wants to look nice for prom, <em>(for Chris, but shut up don't talk about it)</em>, so, he needs to get his sides fixed up and, he’ll begrudgingly admit, the top of his hair has grown out <em>quite</em> a lot. He sighs to himself, looking down at his phone where the picture Chris had sent him is still proudly displayed.</p><p>As Chris had gotten older, his hair had gotten darker, settling at a shade that’s almost in between Buck’s and Eddie’s, with a few natural highlights that pop out when he’s out in the sun. Despite his hair color changing, Chris’ curls are still the same as when Denny had met him. Buck took Chris for a haircut this morning (it’s about 12:30 now, time for Denny’s appointment), and Denny thinks that he looks great. Chris has never liked the skin fade look on himself, so he’s always opted for a #1 blade faded to a #2 and he kept just enough length on the top for it to still curl. Denny will not admit to the blush on his cheeks when his phone went off before he left home, and Nia had grinned and asked, “Oooh, Denny, is that your boyfriend?”</p><p>He had denied in response to his annoying little sister’s question, because Chris isn’t his boyfriend. Not yet, at least. With that thought, Denny forces himself out of his mom’s car and into the shop, noting that he had been sitting outside for ten minutes, and he is now five minutes late. Oh, well. <em>Marv won’t care.</em><br/><em>-</em></p><p>Marvin Franks has cut Denny’s hair since he was two-years-old, and his set up has not changed in the last sixteen years. The chairs are the same, the plastic covering being the only replaceable addition to them. The stations, two that are built into the wall with drawers and cubbies and everything in between, get painted maybe once every five years. Other than that, the place is so familiar that Denny can’t help, but to let go of the anxieties that were plaguing him outside. When Marv turns to him with a grin, Denny actually grins in return. “Hey, Marv, sorry, I’m late.”</p><p>The man laughs, leading the way back to his chair. “You weren’t late. I saw you out there, stuck in your head. I was givin’ you five more minutes, and I was comin’ out there after you.”</p><p>Denny sits down, takes a deep breath as the neckstrip is secured around the cape, which is then secured around his neck. The process is familiar, but the quiet isn’t. Marv knows about Chris, Denny’s sure his moms have told him, but he’s probably waiting for Denny to bring him up first. <em>Well, sucks for you, old man. I'm not going to.</em> Instead, Denny spots something new to start up a conversation. “Hey, did you get new clippers?”</p><p>Marv grins, because of course he does. Hairdressers, stylists, barbers, they’re all the same. They love to boast about their tools. “Yes, and no. They’re <em>Oster’s Classic 76</em>. They’re the same kind that I had before, just new ones. I got all the blades, now, too, so I ain’t gotta use them plastic guards anymore!”</p><p>Denny’s nodding along, surprised by how much he knows. As it turns out, that clipper talk was the perfect ice breaker, because Marv is grinning suddenly, and says, “Boy, you don’t want to talk about my clippers. You want to talk about your boy.”</p><p>He doesn’t push Denny, and Denny doesn’t respond until Marv is finished parting Denny’s hair and he reminds him that they do a drop fade from the sides to the back, and they take it down to the skin. (Just because Chris isn't a fan of the skin fade on himself, doesn't mean that he doesn't like it on Denny.) Denny doesn’t know what to say, as Marv starts on his right side, but the rhythmic up and down motion calms him, and he blurts the first thing that comes to mind. “Chris got a haircut this morning, too.”</p><p>Marv nods at him, “Can I see?” Denny pulls his phone out, unlocking it to find the picture still up, and he stops. Chris has his contacts in, having been wearing them more to prepare for prom, because “The flash is on in those cameras, Denny, I don’t want our prom pictures to be ruined by the glare of my glasses.” and Denny didn’t see the point in arguing with his friend <em>(boyfriend? prom date? Denny honestly doesn’t know)</em>. His hair is styled in a way Chris never does, curls tight and pushed towards his face instead of away, and he had gotten his ears cut back out, showing off his two sets of diamond earrings (that are fake, because those things are <em>expensive</em>), one set a deep purple and one black, to match their suits. The cut also brings out Chris’ eyes, and his eyelashes <em>(are so long oh my gosh)</em>, and his freckles that dust across his cheeks. He looks good, even though he looks grumpy because it was taken at 8:30 am. Denny is so busy just looking at the picture, that he doesn’t see the smirk on Marv’s face. He doesn’t feel him finishing with the clippers, but he hears the amusement in his voice when he says, “Damn, Wilson, you’ve got a looker there. Sorry to interrupt your daydream, but I need to wash your hair before I cut the top.”</p><p>Denny looks down, flustered, but he follows Marv obediently to the shampoo bowls. Sitting down, he feels his face heat up because he’s looking right up at Marv. He’s got nowhere to hide, now. He knows what’s coming, before the man even opens his mouth. “Tell me about him.”</p><p>Denny looks around, contemplating. He knows how he gets when he talks about Chris. His moms knew that he liked the younger boy even before he did, because he would not<em> shut up.</em> He’s not embarrassed of his feelings, not at all, but he fears he’ll get annoying, but then he looks up at Marv again. Marv has been friends with his mama since before he was born. He might as well be Denny’s uncle, but the older man would probably fight him on that. He says that being “Uncle Marv” makes him feel old. Marv would never offer if he didn’t want to hear about it, but Denny just has to ask as his hair is shampooed. “Are you sure?”</p><p>“Always.” That one word is all it takes. Denny talks about Chris through the rest of his appointment; talks about how Chris loves music and can play the piano, while Marv rinses his hair, and talks about how Chris is impulsive and also impatient, how he got both of his ears pierced twice at the same time, because he was afraid that he’d chicken out if he only did one and then had to wait, while he discusses the length he wants on the top, and he talks about Chris’ struggles and how inspiring he finds him and how much he cares for him, while his hair is styled, and before he knows it, he’s up and paying. He can’t even bring himself to be embarrassed, waving as he starts to leave, before Marv stops him. “Hey, Denny?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“I know that you’re only just about to graduate high school, but anyone with eyes can see how happy you are just to talk about him. I can see it, and I've never even met the boy. You better hold on to him for as long as you can, and have fun at your prom tonight.”</p><p>Denny smiles, not sure what he’s responding to when he finally finds his voice. “I plan to.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>and it is done! i don't know if anyone actually reads these, but i'm writing them because i want to so... 2 more parts to go!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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